Ripples on the Water
by Shiawase Vampire
Summary: Even the smallest thing can affect one’s life in a big way.  [Five part story.]  Rated for occasional bad language.
1. Shelter

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Kazuya Minekura.

This is the first chapter of a five part seriescentered arounda common theme, well...thing in this case. Enjoy!

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The marketplace was empty, the vendors and customers having packed up and gone home once the rain started to fall. Only those who didn't mind the rain were out and about. Those who didn't have a roof to stand under while the rain cleansed the earth were left to soak and shiver. Earlier, it started to pour, the ground turning to mud.

The kappa couldn't care less about the rain or the mud. Of his traveling companions, he was one of the two who didn't mind it. And frankly, the two who did became so infuriatingly depressed, especially after being rained on when they pulled into town the day before. He just wanted more cigarettes and was glad to have that excuse.

And if he could manage it, a woman or two to warm him up that night. They'd definitely perk up his own mood real quick.

The monkey, on the other hand, would just have to fend for himself. He was sick of playing babysitter at the moment.

He sighed and threw away his cigarette pack, the crumpled Hi-Lite wrapper landing in a puddle. His crimson hair clung to the sides of his frowning face. Even the hairs that everyone swore looked like antennae could not withstand the force of the downpour. It wasn't the first time he'd felt like a drowned rat, nor did he think it would be his last. Absently, he wiped at his face and pulled his hair back into a messy ponytail.

_Ugh. No woman in her pretty mind would be out now. Who was I kidding?_

He stopped in his tracks, mud covering his boots and no doubt the backside of his black pants, and moved out of the road. Resignedly, he leaned back against the wall. His hand patted the pocket where he usually kept his cigarettes and found nothing.

"Damn it," he muttered, remembering that he had no more left.

_That's why you're out here anyway. Remember? Better out here than in there… I guess._

Down a ways from him, he heard a loud crash coming from the alleyway. Instantly he was on guard and scolding himself for not sensing any enemy youkai before. His shakujou staff came to his hands as he stalked over towards the alley. A grin was on his face.

_Well, at least I'll get something out of this little outing_, he thought.

There was a slight shuffling in the alley, and then a small clang of metal cans as they toppled over each other. He couldn't help smirking. They've had plenty of clumsy assassins in the past, but this was ridiculous.

"Aww, ya don't have to be shy. I'm only here to kill ya," he taunted from around the corner, body pressed up against the building. He waited for a reply. There always was a reply. The assassins were too cocky _not_ to say something. What they said wasn't threatening by any means; consisting of the usual "We're here for the scripture!" or "For the Lady Gyokumen, we're going to kill you! Bwahahaha!" or something to that effect. After hearing the speech the first few times, he just stopped listening and waited for their mouths to stop moving before he struck.

Not this time, though. He frowned, actually disappointed that the assassins were so wimpy that they couldn't even offer any sort of pre-battle repartee.

"Well, ready or not, here I come!"

And when he jumped into the alleyway's entrance, all he saw was a bunch of scattered trash bags and bins. No youkai of any kind.

"You've got to be kidding," he muttered. They've been ambushed many times, but the genius who thought using a garbage filled alleyway as the place of conflict really needed to be smacked upside the head. Suddenly, there was a rustle in a particularly large pile near the backend of the alley. No doubt it was a novice fighter too stupid to know that in order to achieve stealth, one had to not make a disturbance of any kind.

"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be, huh?" he smirked, fingers tapping the metal of his shakujou. "Lure me into the alley so you can trap me, hm?" he said mockingly as he bent over and picked up a tin can from near his feet. "Nice try but I'm gonna have to take points away for lack of originality!" Then he threw the can as hard as he could, trash flying all over the place from the impact.

But that wasn't the only thing to leave the pile. A tiny ball of fur scrambled out and ran straight for an old cardboard box.

The kappa stared blankly for a second. He took a few steps to the side to get a better look into the box and shook his head.

"A kitten, huh? Heh. No wonder. I was going to be very disappointed if a two-bit hack of a youkai was the best they could send after me," he said, laughing softly. "Too bad you're not the type of pussy I like." With a wave of his hand, the shakujou went away, and he started to leave.

Hands propped back into his jacket pockets, he muttered, "Now where the hell is that st—"

"MEW!"

He stopped and slowly turned around. The fluff ball poked its little head out of the box, drops of water falling off its black whiskers. Tiny green eyes blinked at him, the expression imploring and curious.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, giving the kitten a look.

"Mew?"

"You're a black cat and I'm…well, I'm me. We wouldn't mix well, kitty cat."

It just quirked its head in response, and blinked its eyes at the kappa. He sighed and after a moment's thought, started to climb through the trash. Things of an indistinguishable nature squashed underfoot, tin cans and papers making their respective noises. Flies flitted and buzzed around him and the trash. They seemed to like dive-bombing his face, which only earned the insects curses and angrily swatting hands.

The kitten shrunk away into the darkness of the box as he neared. It let out a pitiful sound followed by the obligatory hiss.

"Gimme a break here," he groaned as he picked through the last of it. "Ya got me trudging through this shit just so you can play coy with me?" Squatting down, he stared back at the glowing eyes and chuckled. "I always seem to be talking to animals…" he mumbled.

For a while, all he did was stare at the kitten while it just shook and did nothing in return. The rain continued to fall, water dripping down his face and off his head.

_Let the stupid animal be like that. You're wasting time! You could be nose deep in women! Just go to one of the bars and they're bound to be there, ripe for the picking!_

_What would you do with a cat anyway? The monkey'd make friends with it an' cry an' whine when that stupid monk tells him he can't keep it. Or worse. The monkey'd want to eat it the moment we run out of food on the road. _

He had half a mind to leave. Water was beginning to seep in through his clothes and the stench of the wet trash was beginning to get to him.

_What the hell am I doing?_ He thought, berating himself. He almost stood, but stupidly looked back into the box one last time. Something about the look in the kitten's eyes—or was it the kitten's matted and drenched fur?—melted his resolve.

"All right, kitty cat. Come here," he sighed, extending his hand into the box.

Immediately the kitten began to hiss and swat his hand, its tiny and sharp nails scratching his skin. He winced, but he's had worse cuts. The kitten shrunk into the back corner of the box in its attempt to avoid his hand.

"Don't play that game with me. I'm not gonna hurt ya…" he said in a soft voice. He held his hand in front of the kitten. The kappa could faintly feel the kitten's breath and tiny whiskers on his skin as it sniffed him. "See? There's nothing to worry about."

After a second of good inspection, the kitten softly nudged his hand, a faint rumbling sound coming from the back of the box. He smiled, petting the little fur ball.

"Let's get out of the rain, hm? Maybe Hakkai bought something I can let ya have."

Using both hands, he gently scooped up the kitten and sheltered it next to his chest. It was so tiny. That, or his hands were really big compared to the animal. It mewed nervously, and shook violently now that it wasn't in the safety of the box. Even out in the open, the kitten's purring was barely audible.

"Stick with me, kitty cat. I'll make sure that damned monk doesn't shoot your tail off."

"Mew?"

He gave it a little scratch behind the ears and tucked the kitten into his jacket, a hand still supporting it from the outside. "Never mind. Probably best ya didn't understand what I said anyway…"

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Unceremoniously, he opened up the door to their room in the inn, not considering for a moment if anyone was behind it, and announced, "I'm back, I'm wet, and I still don't have cigarettes or a woman." It was only his luck that the rain stopped just as he got to the inn. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been smart of him to bring the kitten in with those two in a bad mood.

Immediately, the monkey began to laugh. "Hahaha, ya look like ridiculous, stupid drenched cockroach kappa!"

Twitch went his eye. "What was that?" he snarled, forgetting about the kitten as he lunged for the monkey.

The sudden outburst seemed to scare the kitten. Just after he yelled, he felt claws sink into his chest, the little animal struggling to get out of his coat. "_Mew_!"

"Argh, damn it!" he cried out, clutching at his chest and the wriggling animal. "Calm down!"

Everyone else in the room was silent while he yanked off the coat arm by arm, the frightened kitten held firmly against him. Absently, he tossed the rain-soaked coat at an empty chair.

"Looks like Sanzo isn't the only one good with animals," quipped the bespectacled man as he glanced up from his book. The white dragon near his feet gave a sound in agreement before lying its head back down. The kappa frowned and proceeded to sit down on his bed.

"Hey Gojyo, can I see it? Can I pet it?" said the monkey as he squatted down right in front of the kappa.

"No," he said flatly, stroking the little cat. "Monkeys scare cats. Didn't ya know that?"

"Well that's okay then," he replied brightly with a touch of defiance in his voice, " 'cause I'm not a monkey!"

"Heh, denial's not a good thing to have this late in the game, monkey boy."

"You—!"

"Goku," came the priest's stern voice before a full-scale argument could ensue.

"Aw come on, Sanzo!"

"Don't make me shoot you." Then he turned on the kappa. "Just what the hell are you doing with that thing? We're not an animal shelter."

He frowned, looking down at the black kitten. To add insult to injury, it began to purr again. "No shit, monk. I just…" he trailed off. He hated being at a loss for words. "It was pouring somethin' crazy out there! I couldn't leave it like that."

"Don't care. Get rid of it."

"Look, I can't let it die out there! It was all alone."

"And we can't afford to bring it with us, so get rid of it."

"If it's a matter of paying for the damned thing, I'll go out and win some extra money then!" he said, staring into the monk's apathetic eyes.

"Gojyo," said the bespectacled man calmly. "I think Sanzo means that we can't bring the kitten with us because we couldn't protect it when we get attacked."

"But…" he said, looking down at the kitten's imploring face.

"I know how you feel. I'd love to help all the strays like that little one, but there's simply no possible way."

He fell silent, petting the kitten tenderly. The strength of its purr grew by the second. Much to his relief, its fur had started to dry and the shivering had subsided for the most part. The kitten's fur proved to be rather soft, much to his surprise. It gave a yawn, stretching its paws, and snuggled up against his chest.

"…Just for the night then?"

The priest grunted, flipping open his paper. "Fine," he said, putting on his reading glasses. "But if it pisses on any of our stuff, I'm shooting you while you sleep."

"Well," said his friend, snapping the book closed. "Now that that's settled, shall I fix us something to eat?"

"Woo! Food!" exclaimed the monkey, jumping off his bed with great enthusiasm.

"Hey Hakkai, do we have anything to give the little guy here?"

"Oh, I'm sure I can find something," he said, smiling in response. "Goku, want to come help me?"

_So, one night, huh? _He thought bemusedly as his friend and the monkey left the room. _Guess you _do_ have something in common with the women I meet…_

What surprised the kappa the most was just how much he cared for the little animal. Hell, he'd seen plenty of strays in his life and never before did he feel the compulsion to take one of the sorry things in. Though…if the definition of 'stray' was stretched to include humans, his count was up to one.

Perhaps he just didn't like seeing things die in the rain.

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"I think he likes it, Hakkai!" the monkey said with a broad grin. He was lying on the floor, inches away from the hungry kitten and its meal. If the little cat wasn't so hungry, the kappa was sure it would have jumped in fright and hid under one of the beds the second the stupid monkey plopped down in front of it.

"Oi!" he growled, standing up threateningly. "Don't you be getting any ideas! You have plenty of your own food up here and if you don't hurry I'm just going to eat all of yours too!"

Instantly, the monkey jumped up and slapped the kappa's hand away. He glared at him, and took up his chopsticks, pointing them at the kappa like they were a weapon. "Stupid pervy kappa! Don't you dare touch any of my food!"

"Oh yeah? Just try an' stop me!"

"_Shut up and eat your damn food!_" the priest snarled, his hand whipping out his paper fan and smashing it over both of their heads in the blink of an eye.

Without so much as another word, the two scowled at the priest, then at each other before turning their attention back to the food.

"So Gojyo, where'd you find the kitten anyway?" asked the bespectacled man as he set down a can of beer.

"In an alleyway," he said with a mouthful of food. He didn't think it important to mention the garbage.

"What were you doing in one of those?" snickered the monkey. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew where this was headed. "Couldn't afford—"

"I didn't even _find_ a damned woman, you stupid monkey! They probably were all inside keeping warm and dry and—." He stopped before he could embarrass himself more. "And I heard a noise, thought it was one of those stupid assassins and checked it out. But all it turned out to be was that," he said, nodding his head in the kitten's direction.

"Explains your frustrations pretty well then," said the priest. "Resorting to those outside of the species now, are we?"

The remarks sent a gale of snickers throughout two of the table's occupants.

"…I'd probably kill the thing."

There was a ghost of a grin on the priest's face. To the kappa, it was more of a mocking sneer. "What's scary is that you seemed to give it a moment's thought."

"Screw you, you damned monk! What would you know anyway about—?"

He quickly found himself staring down the barrel of the priest's Smith and Wesson pistol.

"Care to run that by me again?" the priest said in a dangerous, low whisper, a twitch in his eye.

"Now, now, let's not have any of that. You're going to scare the kitten if you keep that up."

"Tch." Reluctantly, the priest put away the gun.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he could see the kitten devouring its food. Just looking at the size of it, it couldn't have been that old. He wondered if the thing's mother was even alive or if it had any siblings.

_Stop thinking about it so much_. He turned back to his food, shoveling it in before the monkey had a chance to steal it. _If you keep thinking about it, you'll want to name it, and that's just asking for trouble because you won't want to give it up then!_

The kitten was oblivious to what he felt. He felt it rub up against his leg, and soon felt the warm fuzz ball jump up into his lap. A smile crept out of the corner of his lips.

_You're not helping any_, he thought silently, giving the kitten a scratch behind the ears.

"Enjoying your new friend?" asked the dark-haired man.

"…It's frightfully…endearing," he admitted reluctantly. "I'm sure the ladies would love that I'm so good with animals."

"That would actually involve you _finding_ a woman and testing that theory, wouldn't it?" the priest muttered before taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Heh. I think I've had enough," he said, pushing the chair away from the table. All the joking had killed his appetite. Wasn't good for his libido, either. He scooped up the kitten, it mewing in confusion, and started for the door.

"Ah, Gojyo? Where are you going?"

"Takin' a shower," he muttered, grabbing the doorknob.

"…With the cat?" the priest asked, his eyebrow arching up.

"Like I'd leave it here alone with you jerk-wads."

"Hey, can I finish your food?" asked the monkey enthusiastically.

"Whatever," he said with a wave of his hand. He cracked open the door and slipped out into the hallway. Trudging down to the bathroom, he realized that he'd forgotten to grab a change of clothes. He shrugged, giving his shower companion a little rub, and kept on walking.

When he got to the bathroom, he made sure to lock the door just in case some moron opened it and let the kitten escape. He set it down gently and sat down on a little bench, removing his muddy boots and socks. The kitten immediately dove for the discarded socks, pawing and fighting with it.

"Okay, let's lay some ground rules here. You keep my things in one piece and we're cool. Sound good?" He chuckled, removing his shirt. "All right, fine. You can mess with those. But touch my pants or my shirt and we're going to have issues, got it kitty cat?"

He was sure the cat understood him. It had to. It seemed like an intelligent little creature. After all, it hadn't shown that it was afraid of any of them and that was a good sign, especially since the priest could be quite frightening.

Dropping the shirt beside him, he stood, undoing his belt buckle. In a fluid motion—one gained with much experience of dropping one's pants in a flash—his pants were off and joining the rest of the clothes on the bench. Thankfully, the room had a couple spare towels so he didn't have to change back into them when he was done.

The warm water washed blissfully down his body, carrying away the soapsuds. He let his head hang down and basked in the heat for a few minutes, his hand braced against the wall of the shower stall. His hair created a curtain of sorts that muted the sounds of the falling water, his sighing breath unnaturally loud. Tossing his hair back, he turned around so the water hit his back, fingers running through it to work out any remaining bits of soap.

"Mew!" cried the kitten loudly. He stopped, confused as to why the kitten would make such a fuss. It's not like he brought the thing in with him.

"Mew, mew!"

"What?" he exclaimed, splashing water as he yanked open the curtain. Peering down, he saw that the kitten had grown bored with his socks. The thing made another noise, poking its head out from the depths of his clothes.

"Mew?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Okay, I'm almost done."

Shutting the curtain, he gave his body the once over with the bar of soap. A clean, well-sculpted body and his charms was all he had to offer to the ladies, so he was sure to keep it in decent condition. Even the little battle scars added to the overall picture, instead of detracting from it.

_If I was this dirty…I wonder just how much the kitten is._ Putting down the soap, he peered out of the curtain, watching his shirt move and shake. _I'm sure it's not going to appreciate getting wet again, but at least it'll smell nice._

Leaning out, water dripping off his limbs and spattering the floor, he dug through the dirtied garments and extracted the kitten. It gave him a puzzled look, like it didn't know it was doing anything wrong. "Sorry kitty cat, but this'll be for your own good," he muttered, putting both hands around the kitten's body.

It didn't start mewing until the first splash of water fell on its back. And it didn't start scratching until a split second later. "Ah! Oi! Calm down!" His hand fumbled for the soap while the other held the animal against his chest. The kitten's nails dug into his skin and it let out a growl, both of which he ignored.

_Goddamn, how am I supposed to wash the thing's head without getting water in its huge ears?_

"All right!" he exclaimed in frustration, dropping the soap, both hands employed now in holding the kitten still—and to minimize the scratching. He took a step back out of the stream of water coming out of the showerhead, and leaned against the wall. Looking down, he stared the cat in the eyes and said in a calmer voice, "I just have to rinse ya, okay? Just one more time under the water and I promise you'll be done with showers for good."

At that moment, he didn't know if it understood him or not. Nonetheless, he stepped back in, holding one hand gently over the kitten's head. The clawing continued, the kitten panicked even more now that it couldn't see. He winced and moved until the water was only hitting its back and moved his hand. Vigorously, he rubbed the wet fur until there wasn't any more soap. The second he was done, he yanked open the curtain, grabbed one of the towels, and wrapped the flailing kitten in it before setting the bundle down on the floor.

"Phew!" he sighed, pulling the curtain closed again. His chest hurt like hell, little tendrils of blood winding their way down his muscles. The scratches he got on his hand before didn't hurt as much as the fresh ones. Grabbing the soap, he passed it over the wounds so they didn't get infected, and promptly hissed loudly when the water hit the scratches at just the right angle, causing maximum pain. Who knew kitten scratches could hurt so much?

Angrily, he grabbed the shower taps and turned them off. Water ran noisily down the drain, the last of the soapsuds and blood whirling down with it. The sudden stop of warm water brought a chill to his body, goosebumps popping up on his arms and along his shoulders. Quickly he dried himself off and wrapped the damp towel around his waist, tucking the ends in so it didn't come loose. Not that he minded being naked, but not everyone could appreciate his fully exposed temple.

"Okay kitty cat. I hope you're not pissy anymore," he muttered, stepping out of the shower stall and squatting down by the bundle on the floor. The towel didn't move. Frowning, he picked up and found it unoccupied. He sighed, rolling his eyes. Getting down on his knees, he peeked underneath the bench, wet hair dripping water on the floor, and saw the kitten huddled there. "Come out, little one. I'm not mad at ya and I'm not going to toss ya into the shower." His chest wounds throbbed lightly, but he could deal with those later.

Gradually, the bedraggled and drenched kitten crawled out. It mewed softly, its ears bent slightly back. He offered it a smile, his anger melting away, and held out his hand. It gave him a few tiny licks in apology before it began to purr again. "We're pals again, I take it?" he said, chuckling. It mewed in reply, its ears perking up.

Tenderly, he scooped it up and placed it in the towel. He spoke sweetly while he rubbed off the excess water, its purrs loud and content. When he was done, the kitten's fur was poofy and messy.

"There. Now you really are a little fuzz ball."

Laughing, he wrapped the kitten up in the towel again and got to his feet. He grabbed up the dirty clothes and boots after making sure the other towel was still secure around his waist, and unlocked the bathroom door. Steam poured out into the cool hallway, the air biting at his skin and spreading the goosebumps further along his body.

"We were beginning to wonder if you got lost," joked his friend when he re-entered the room. He snorted, shutting the door behind him. The table had been cleared except for the overfilled ashtray and the priest's cigarettes.

"Funny. Perhaps you'd like to become the comic relief on this journey, hm?"

"I guess that means we get to fire you then," said the priest from his bed. Though the evening was young, he already had the sheets pulled up over him and was facing the wall. The kappa frowned and flipped off the priest. An instant later, he saw the flash of silver from over the priest's shoulder.

"Don't assume I don't know what you did," he growled.

"Oh whatever are you talking about, your exalted and almighty holiness?" the kappa replied in a mocking tone as he dumped the garments on the floor. He heard the priest scoff and uncock his gun. Frankly, he was surprised. He was usually shot at after saying such things.

The kitten mewled, its head peeking out from the depths of the towel. He returned his attention to it and saw a small black paw reach out at swipe at something near his face. It crawled out a bit and began swatting at his wet hair. He laughed and teased the kitten with a small bit of it. After a second, the kitten lunged out, tugging the hair while biting at it.

"Ah okay, we're crossing a line here, kitty cat…" he said, pulling the hair out of the kitten's mouth and throwing it back out of reach.

"Gojyo, Gojyo, Gojyo! Can I see the kitten?" the monkey asked after climbing off his bed.

"…Sure," he conceded. He pulled the towel away and handed the fuzz ball over.

"Goku, come over here so we can both see it."

Holding the kitten securely, the monkey crossed the room, playfully petting it. The kappa smirked, taking out his bag out from under the bed. He rummaged for a bit, pulled out what he wanted, and put on a pair of clean pants. Absently, he kicked the bag back underneath and went over to join the others.

"Gojyo, how'd you get all those cuts?" his friend asked, looking up from the kitten when he neared.

"We…had a difference of opinion…" he mumbled as he crouched over a small bag of medical supplies his friend kept. "I thought it could use a wash and after being out in the rain, I assumed it was used to the water."

His friend laughed. "Well, that explains it. You would have been better off letting it clean itself. Cats normally don't like to get wet."

He grimaced. "Well, I know that now, don't I?" he muttered, dabbing at the scratches with an antiseptic soaked cotton ball. "At least it doesn't smell like trash any more."

"Trash?" A curious expression on his face, the bespectacled man picked up the kitten, inspecting it further. "No wonder I smelled something bad earlier. The smell went away when you left again."

"Heh. It could have been my clothes too," he replied. He was putting a couple larger band-aids on the worst of the scratches, and left the tiny hairline ones alone.

"Ah! Gojyo…did you know this kitten's a female?"

"Really now?" he said with a smirk. "I didn't think it polite for me to look without asking. No wonder you gave me such a hard time, missy," he laughed, petting the kitten cheerfully.

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The night grew late. It wasn't until the priest yelled at them and threatened them with imminent death that they considered sleeping. Grudgingly, they stopped playing with the kitten and settled on their own beds, the kappa possessively taking her back to his.

He set her down on his pillow and pulled back the soft, white covers. Stretching his arms up towards the ceiling, he gave a loud yawn, and then climbed into bed.

"Mew?"

"I need to sleep now. Be nice and don't wake the others, especially that monk, else he'll be cranky in the morning," he whispered, stroking the kitten. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then discreetly leaned over and gave the kitten a little kiss on her forehead. She mewed and began to purr. Smiling, he pulled the covers up around his shoulders and lay down. After a few minutes, he felt the kitten settle down by his side, her purring loud and surprisingly soothing. She began to push against him with her little paws, needle-like claws just barely puncturing the blankets.

Soon, he fell asleep, the kitten keeping him warm in a different way than he had intended at the start of his day.

He learned the hard way that night just how playful and adorable animals of the feline species could be. At one point during the night, he woke up feeling strong tugs on his hair and her furry little body resting on his forehead. Another time, he was scared awake when the kitten pounced on his covered feet, claws digging into the skin. The last time he woke up, she was sitting squarely on his chest, kneading and purring away. He did nothing this time, but give her a little petting before dozing off again.

And in the morning, the kitten was gone.

Panicked, he looked all around him. He tore the bed apart and looked underneath it, but the kitten wasn't there. Clambering over to the monkey's bed, he searched underneath that as well before standing up and tossing the monkey out of bed. The foolish monkey didn't wake up but continued to sleep on, mumbling about food.

_Where could she have gone?_

The priest's bed was empty, and he knew the kitten knew better than to disrupt him, so the kappa ignored that one and practically dove underneath his friend's bed.

"Gojyo?" His friend shifted in the bed while he was underneath it and frantically moving things around so he could see those glowing eyes again. "Gojyo, what are you doing?"

He backed out and sat up, slamming his hands on the mattress. "The kitten! Is she with you?"

His friend shook his head. "No, only Hakuryuu's with me."

"Shit!" he exclaimed.

Just then, the door opened and the priest came in while tucking something away. The frazzled kappa ran over to him, grabbing the lapel of his robes. "You! You did something to her, didn't you?"

"Gojyo! Calm down!"

The priest glared at him. "Get your hands off me," he said in a dangerous tone.

"Not until you tell me what you did with her!"

"I got rid of it," he said flatly, shoving the hands off. An indifferent expression on his face, he pushed past the angered kappa.

"You…you bastard!" he growled. His hand balled up in a fist, knuckles turning white. He whirled around and started to throw the punch and met the cold muzzle of the Smith and Wesson pressed against his forehead instead.

"Use that stupid head of yours first before you carry on, you dumb cockroach."

He could feel his fist shaking with rage. "Just what were you putting away when you came in then? Didn't want us to see that you shot it, did you?"

"Did you lose what little intelligence you had last night? Buddhism doesn't permit killing, you moron. Compassion and wisdom are the keys in the basic Buddhist path, and you're lucky what little compassion I have is keeping my wisdom from shooting you in the head."

"Then what'd you mean by you getting rid of it then?"

"It's out of our lives," the priest said, lowering the gun and turning his back on the kappa.

He turned and ran out of the room, ignoring the calls of his friend. His feet pounded on the wooden floor, they taking him down the hall and down towards the front lobby. The least the monk could have done was let him say goodbye.

'_Compassion' my ass!_

He was almost at the door, determined to look for the kitten barefoot, when a sound from behind him caught his attention.

"Mew!"

His hand hovered just above the doorknob, stopping dead in his tracks. Whirling around, he saw the kitten in the arms of the innkeeper. A wave of relief swept over him, anger instantly washing away. He smiled broadly and walked over to them, and ignored the slight teary-eyed feeling he was getting.

"Young man," the old woman said in gravely voice. "Thank you for the little gift. That kind priest walked away before I could thank him properly, so I'm thanking you."

"You're welcome," he said in a soft voice. "Please take care of her." He stroked the purring kitten lovingly and kissed her little head.

"Mew?"

"You stay with the nice lady, miss kitty cat," he said. "Be good now."

Padding down the hallway, the sounds of purring grew faint in his ears. _At least she'll have a nice warm home now_, he thought proudly. He stopped just outside their door and wiped at his eyes.

Just in case.

"Stupid monk," he grumbled, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.. "You have a shitty choice of words!"

"You need to employ that brain of yours to more things than women, cigarettes, and beer, idiot."

"Now, now," said the bespectacled man. "I'm sure we can expand that to cat care, even if he has a lot to learn in that area as well."

"Eh? Hakkai, whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Oh? I have to be on a side now?"

He grumbled murderously, plopping down on the ruined bed. Glancing over at the sleeping monkey, he lashed out suddenly, having determined he had slept too long, and kicked him in the head. The monkey stirred, rubbing his head with a bewildered expression on his face. "Huh? Is it time to eat?" he mumbled. The kappa smirked, chuckling to himself.

"Sure, monkey boy. Look what you did to your bed. You tore it all up in your sleepwalking search for food," he teased.

"I did?" the monkey asked, sitting up and surveying the damage.

"Doesn't matter," the priest said as he stood. "We're leaving."

"But…breakfast…"

"Don't worry, Goku," the dark-haired man said congenially as he made his bed. "We'll stop and get something before we leave town."

"Move it," the priest said, slamming the door as he left.

The kappa snorted and pulled on some clothes. "Goku, grab Sanzo's stuff," he ordered, stuffing his own back into his bag.

"Why do I have to?"

"He's your keeper, and he'd shoot us if we touched it."

"Who's to say he won't shoot me as well?" he muttered under his breath.

"Gojyo? Are you okay leaving the kitten here? Sanzo told me about the arrangements he made when you stormed out."

"Yeah," he said quietly. "She'll be much happier here."

"And to think you finally got a girl to sleep with and you have to leave her behind."

"Ew, Gojyo's got a thing for cats now? That's so wrong and gross, you pervert kappa."

"What? I don't like cats like that, stupid monkey!" he exclaimed, slapping the monkey upside the head. He gave his friend a mischievous look and said, "Besides, I'm not the one with interesting tastes. Our good friend here has a thing for inc—"

"_Hurry up and move your asses!_" yelled the priest from outside.

"Ah, I guess that's our cue," said the bespectacled man, picking up his things. The little white dragon flew after him, landing on his shoulder as he left the room.

Immediately, the kappa began to regret even mentioning it. His friend was going to be pissed at him for the rest of the day now.

"Gojyo, what were you saying?"

"Hm? Nothing," he said, grabbing his things and avoiding the question.

"Come on, what'd you say?" the monkey said, pestering him as they moved down the hallway. "Tell me, tell me!"

"Nothing," he said in a sterner voice as they came out into the front lobby. "Now say goodbye to the kitten before we go." He gave the innkeeper a thankful smile and the kitten a final pet. It mewed softly as the monkey pet it and said his goodbyes and thanks. The kappa nodded for the monkey to go on ahead.

"Thanks again, miss," he said politely.

"You're more than welcome to come back again," the innkeeper said, her shriveled, old hand scratching the kitten behind the ears and under the chin.

"We'll be sure to do that," the kappa said with a smile.

And then he left, closing the door, and closing the kitten's purrs out for the last time. His companions were almost done loading the dragon turned jeep.

_By the time I see you next, kitty cat, you'll probably not recognize me, and I probably won't remember what you looked like either_, he thought, jumping into the back of the jeep.

_But at least I'll know that you have a place to stay when it starts to rain._


	2. Companion

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Kazuya Minekura. 

This is thesecond chapter of the five part series.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly that late autumn morning. His breath came out in little white clouds as he bounded down one of the wooden walkways surrounding the large hall in the Keiunin Temple grounds. Behind him were the sounds of two out-of-shape bodies trying to keep up. Looking around him and quickly weighing options in his head, his only way to escape from there would be across the pavilion.

But the monks would see him.

But what if he hid?

If he hid, they'd run right past him and never know.

Then he'd be free to go anywhere.

And maybe that anywhere would have lots of food.

Coming to an abrupt stop, he jumped down to the ground and squeezed underneath the wooden walkway. Overhead, he could hear the thunderous steps of the monks trying to get him.

"Master Sa—Sanzo is not going to be happy—when we report this to him!" yelled one of the monks.

"That little troublemaker!" hissed the second one loudly. "He should've been kicked out months ago!"

Their steps slowed as they neared where he was on the ground. He gasped and held his breath until they were past his hiding spot.

"Now where did he go…" grumbled the second monk as he breathed heavily.

"He's…he's eaten most of our…winter stores too!" whined the first monk. From the sound of his voice, this monk was in even worse shape than the other one.

The second monk sighed. "Well, hopefully we'll get enough donations to make up for the losses…"

"We have to, or else how'll we survive the winter with that kid around?"

"Oh no! He's probably on his way to the food stores now. Come on!"

And the footsteps started running again. Slowly, he let out his breath and crawled out. Peeking up over the edge, he watched the two bald monks turn the corner. He grinned and giggled mischievously. The two monks would be so mad and yell at him later, but he had been cooped up in that stuffy monastery for days now. The three floating head thingies sent Sanzo on a mission that the man had said would be too dangerous for an annoyance like him to have around. Or something like that. So he was left with explicit orders to not leave his room.

Honestly though, it was so boring, there was no one to talk to, and he was constantly hungry! What was Sanzo thinking? The least he could have done was leave him with enough food.

Once the monks were out of sight, he made a break for the next building in the pavilion. He raced across the open courtyard, his steamy breath trailing behind him, until he reached the building. His eyes darted around to see if anyone was watching, then he sprinted over to the temple wall.

Oh, he could smell the food from there…

Mouth beginning to water, he gave the wall a good look over for any cracks or anything he could possibly use to climb the wall. However, the wall seemed to be in pretty good shape and probably would be for a long time, unfortunately.

There had to be another way. Any moment, those monks would reach the food storage, discover that he's not there, and come back even angrier.

He sighed heavily, leaning back against the wall. _Well, if I'm gonna get caught,_ he thought, resignedly tilting his head backwards, _I might as well—wait a minute!_ His eyes widened as he laughed, the sight above him glorious.

Deftly, he leaped up and grabbed at the low hanging branch, quickly hoisting himself up before it had a chance to snap. The branch, however, seemed to be made of tougher stuff. Lucky for him too—the branch was conveniently attached to a much larger branch growing from a tree just beyond the wall. He'd have to remember where this tree was in the future.

Down and down he went, scrambling and winding his way to the ground. He smiled, his grin almost cocky from his achievement when he felt the cold dirt beneath his barefoot. If it were later in the year, he wouldn't have dared venturing out in fear of—well, it wasn't there yet, so he had nothing to worry about!

Breathing in deeply, he caught the scent of something sweet not too far from where he was. His feet started to move automatically, toes wriggling in the long grasses as he walked. Past bushes and low branches, he made his way through the woods. Birds chirped softly above him, smaller animals scampering away as he came crashing through.

Finally, he came upon a peach tree, most littering the ground and bruised and partially eaten. He was rather disappointed. He had kinda hoped for something more, like lots of really good fruit or even something better! But, he soon found out from picking up one of the better looking peaches and taking a bite from it, that he had better start looking for something else to eat. He wasn't a picky eater, but when the food was past being edible, even he had to pass it by.

Forlornly, he kicked at the gross fruit and stalked away. Perhaps there was a stray berry bush, or maybe a yakitori bush or harumaki bush hiding out somewhere. It was worth a shot.

Ahead of him, something small and vaguely whitish slowly staggered out from behind an old mossy stump. He stopped and peered at the creature curiously, wondering what it could possibly be doing out in the middle of the woods. Slowly, he took a step towards it, and it didn't dart away. So, he took another, with the same results. And then another and another until he was within arm's reach of the little animal.

"Mew…" it said weakly. It edged towards him cautiously, its ears back.

He laughed softly, holding both hands out eagerly to the animal. "Come here, kitty! I won't eat ya!"

The kitten stopped when he spoke, its tail growing puffy and its back arching as though it were afraid of him.

"Aww, please? I promise I won't do anything kitty." His hands gravitated closer towards the kitten, the smile on his face encouraging.

The kitten didn't move from its spot. Finally, he just grabbed it up, surprising the small animal.

"Mew, mew!" it cried, scratching at his hands and anything else it could sink its claws into.

"Ow, ow, ow! Stop it!" He held the kitten tightly, shushing it and petting it to calm it down. "Kitty, it's a good thing I don't wanna eat ya. There's hardly any meat on your bones."

He looked around to see if there were any other kittens nearby. The little guy's mom must be around somewhere, else how'd it get out by the temple? But there weren't any other kitties around. He frowned, petting the defeated animal, and felt sad for it.

He couldn't very well leave it behind now, he reasoned. Well, he could try to, but he probably wouldn't get more chances to escape the monks again, at least for another month or so, so he could go and visit it. This time he had gone too far and knew it very well. Especially since Sanzo would be even madder at them once he got back, and they in turn would yell at him more. It was a never-ending cycle. He didn't even know why they got so mad in the first place. They probably just didn't like having someone else around who had hair. Their heads must get awfully cold which may explain why they were so irritable. He suspected he would be too if he had a bald head.

Turning around, he headed back past the rotten peach tree, following the path he made on his way through. Right now, feeding the kitty was more important than feeding his own stomach.

If he realized the brevity of his decision, he would have been rightly surprised.

Besides, he could easily get more food from the monks.

Springing upwards, he caught onto one of the lower branches with a free hand. The kitten mewed in protest, digging its pinprick claws into his shoulder as it tried to wriggle out of his grasp. He frowned, trying to ignore the pain as he climbed towards the large branch hanging out over the temple wall.

"Owie, I'm going to feed ya so ya won't be so angry anymore so stop trying to get away!" he said, pausing on one of the branches. The kitten stopped mewing, but maintained its hold on his shoulder.

It was a start, at least. Without further interruption, he made it up to the branch. Slowly, his arm holding onto another branch for balance, he sat down and flung one leg over the branch. From there, he proceeded to scoot the rest of the way down until it dipped past the wall and into the temple grounds.

And snap when it passed its limit, sending both him and kitten plummeting down to the ground.

"Ah crap!" he yelled in shock. Instinctively, he sheltered the kitten against him, covering its head and most of its body with his hands. The blow from the fall went fully to his back, making him cry out from the pain. Slowly he rolled over, the broken branch splintered beneath him.

"Ugh…" he groaned. "Kitty, are ya okay?"

"Mew…" it said weakly. Now that it had been startled, the little animal strangely seemed to have calmed down. Maybe holding and protecting it made it feel safer. In any case, it was nice to have the claws out of his shoulder.

"Hmm, gotta hide ya before those monks find me…"

Getting to his feet, he staggered for a few steps and stopped, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. That fall really smarted! Once he gained equal footing again, he ran back to his room, thankfully uncaught by the monks.

* * *

The rest of the day and the next passed by uneventfully—helped in part by the monks making sure he stayed in his room. And he was just as happy to do so. The kitten was there to keep him company now. While it wasn't the most playful thing in the world, it was something he could talk to and become friends with. And he was sure to save a bit of food for the kitten when he got his meals.

But it didn't seem to like what he had to offer. He just couldn't see how something so thin and tiny could refuse food. It would sniff it, then do nothing.

However, he was determined to get something it'd like. When the monks' vigil over his room lulled again during dinnertime, he slipped out of the window after eating his own food and escaped to the building where they kept all the food. He grabbed up small bits and pieces of things he didn't get with his past few meals and some extra things for himself, and went straight back to his room. Even with the different food though, it didn't seem to want to eat.

"Come on, you've gotta eat!" he said, watching it sit lazily on his bed. But the kitten just mewed and stayed where it was. "Okay," he sighed. "I'll leave it right here. I promise I won't touch it. Ya need your strength too."

That night, he picked up the kitten from its spot and plopped it down on his pillow. Gently, he held it near his face as he slept. Not once did he hear it purr, not before he fell asleep or even since he found it. He thought cats were supposed to purr.

He woke up once during the night and found the kitten sleeping down by his feet. Smiling, he pet it nicely and curled up next to it. His hand moved lazily, stroking the soft fur until he drifted off to sleep.

There were some loud noises disturbing his early morning slumber.

"Huh…?" he mumbled in a half awake state. "Is it time for breakfast already?"

The noises grew louder and sounded like a bunch of large things or bodies stomping past his room.

"Master Sanzo! Master Sanzo!" came the loud cries a second later. He sat up quickly, listening to the monks run.

He laughed joyously and scrambled off his bed. "Sanzo's back! I can show ya to Sanzo now and I just know he'll be able to get ya to eat!" he said eagerly as he fought with a pair of pants. He couldn't help grinning broadly.

The kitten wasn't there when he turned around to give it another pet before he left. He frowned, looking all over his bed, and said, "Okay kitty. I'll be right back! Maybe Sanzo brought us some really good food!"

Throwing the door open and slamming it, he ran past a few of the monks lagging behind, laughing as he went and ignoring their calls for him to slowdown. They were running too, so why should he be the only one to not go so fast?

"Sanzo! Sanzooooo!" he cried, pushing through the dozens of monks. Finally, he caught sight of the blond haired man, his eyes going wide with delight. "Sanzo! Over here! San—!"

"Shut up, stupid monkey!" growled the man, the paper fan smashed instantly over his head.

"Owie, that hurt!" he pouted, rubbing the wounded spot.

"What's this I hear about you eating almost all of the food, you idiot? I thought I had these morons give you enough!"

"I—I can explain! But I have something to show ya first!" He took off at a run, bounding through the monks and back across the courtyard to his room. Turning around, he saw the man stomping reluctantly after him. He grinned and went into his room, knowing the man would be there any second.

"Hey kitty! Sanzo's coming!" He listened for a reply but got none. Puzzled, he searched his sheets and threw the pillow across the room, and like he thought before, it wasn't there. "Kitty? Where'd ya go, kitty?"

Glancing around, he couldn't see the kitten sitting in any corner, or under the table and chairs or anything. His heart began to beat fast, his palms sweating. Something was wrong.

Kneeling down, he shoved at the overhanging sheets and threw them back on top of the bed. "Kitty, where are—?" His voice caught in the back of his throat.

_No…_

His hand shot out as far as it could go, chest pressed to the ground, but it fell just short of the motionless kitten.

Suddenly he pulled away, letting out an anguished cry.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" came the voice of the man. "Oi, answer me, you—What happened?" He heard the man and saw him out of the corner of his eye, but made no attempt to answer him.

"No, this isn't like before," he muttered hoarsely, wiping at the hot tears in his eyes. "There're no bars holding me back this time!"

Again he dived under the bed, scraping his back on the bottom of the bed frame as he pushed under. "No chains, no talisman things, no nothing!"

His fingers grazed the soft fur on the kitten's back. _Just a little more!_ He braced his bare feet against the wooden floor and pushed. His teeth clenched, fingers splayed and reaching until they wrapped around the kitten's body. It didn't fight as he pulled it back towards him. The frame scratched hi back as he came out from under the bed.

"Sanzo, do something!" he said, sitting up with the kitten clutched against his chest.

"Is that what you—"

"Please!" he interrupted, his voice cracking. "He's hurt!"

The man sighed and plucked the little animal from his hands. He held it up, fingers touching and prodding it.

"Is this why you stole all that food?" he said after a few minutes.

He didn't answer. He couldn't even bring himself to look up. The kitten still felt warm when he had it in his hands, so it couldn't be hurt too badly. It hadn't eaten at all since he found it, so maybe that could've been the problem.

But his gut told him otherwise.

"Goku…" the man said in a softer tone.

"It's…it's not okay, is it?" he said quietly. He already knew the answer. Why'd he have to ask?

"…No."

The word, as simple as it was, held so much weight. And from the man's tone, he just knew. It hurt so much, but he knew. He just didn't want it to be true.

He closed his eyes as his heart sank in his chest. His fists tightened and his teeth clenched, and soon his entire body tensed to keep the tears from escaping. Inside, every fiber of his being was telling him just to let it all out, that it'd be okay to cry over this kitten like he did the bird.

But he couldn't. He knew he had tried his best to feed it and to get it to eat. And as much as it had fought him, it still let him play with it and pet it. He was even able to hold it in the end.

The kitten had been a nice little visitor to have.

That's all that it was—a visitor.

And now he had to say goodbye.

Slowly he stood, relaxing his body enough to be able to look up into the blond-haired man's eyes. "Can we go bury it?"

The man gave just one nod of his head and handed the kitten to him before leaving the room. He cradled it against his chest and kissed it softly.

A lone tear escaped his eye.

He wished he knew why goodbyes had to hurt so much.


End file.
